I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 1st of February, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for the day.

We go straight to the Book of John 11:9:

”Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day?“

Now I listened to a beautiful little reading from a Scottish preacher who lived in the 1800’s. His name, William Arnot. Now, William Arnot said something profound. He said, ”The very fact of a Christian still being here, and not in heaven, is the proof that some work awaits him.” Yes, if we are not in heaven, then the Lord still has work for you and me to do; otherwise, he would have taken us home. I remember hearing a man of God say that we are immortal until our work on earth is completed. What does that mean, young person? Immortal - it means you can’t die. You cannot die until you have completed the work which God has ordained you to do while you are here, and that’s very encouraging for me.

Now, as a farmer we get up in the morning, we milk the cows, we feed the pigs, we tend the crops and we do it every single day. Oh yes, everyday you’ve got to feed those animals, every day, and do it joyfully as unto the Lord, whatever you do, and enjoy your brief time here on earth. Yes, maybe the person I’m talking to now has only got twelve hours left on this earth, so what must you do? You must be sure that you do not have any unforgiveness in your heart, that you don’t have any unsettled issues you need to deal with someone. Maybe you’ve had an argument, whatever, deal with it while you are still here because when the Lord calls you, you are going home immediately.

For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. Paul, the apostle, said that. So let us live today as if it were the last day we had on earth, but let us continue to prepare as if we were going to live here for a thousand years. Most of all let us not waste the precious twelve hours that the Lord has given us today!

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful, fruitful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Saturday morning, the 31st of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in Isaiah 59:19:

”When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

Are you lifting up your standard today, am I lifting up my standard today? Does the enemy recognise who we are? I hope so.

Then we go to Romans 1:16:

”For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

When we stand up for the Lord, He stands up for us. I really want to say, especially to young people who are starting out in a new career, maybe this year you are going to university for the first time, maybe you’re starting an apprenticeship in a company, maybe you have just become a professional sportsman or woman. I want to say to you today, please listen to me, it is vitally important that you start the right way. Yes, you lift up your standard!

In the Book of Numbers, when the Children of Israel were travelling to the promised land, they marched in their different clans, following an order. We are Christians, we need to make sure that people know who we are. We must not be ashamed of the Gospel, in fact I want to go one stage further. I have found in my life that a man or a woman who is not really prepared to lift up the standard of Jesus Christ. In other words, they are believers, they say they love Jesus, but depending on which company they are found in. So if they are found in the pub where the boys are getting drunk and they are speaking about immoral things, and then if you want to join with them, then they look at you sideways, but you’re the person that’s in church on Sunday with your hands raised up shouting, “Hallelujah”, and they despise you for that.

You see, my dear young friend, people don’t have to like you, but they must respect you, and they will respect you if you stand firm in what you believe. I’m not saying you must point fingers. I’m not saying you must judge or criticise. I mean, who are we to criticise any man, but our standard must be clear. People must understand who we are and who we stand for and you know, when we get into trouble and we all get into trouble, all of us, they will come to you for help.

Today, raise the standard!

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Friday morning, the 30th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in John 16:8-9:

”And when He has come (that’s the Holy Spirit) He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment of sin, because they do not believe in Me; …“

We want to speak this morning about the Holy Spirit. Oh, I love Him so much and the last thing I want to do is to offend Him because He has done so much for me. He is also the One who convicts me when I step out of line. He is like a proverbial heat-seeking missile. He’ll find you out. It doesn’t matter where you go. You can go into the deepest mine, He’s there. You can go to the top of the highest mountain, yes He’s there.

He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. Now if He’s a friend, then He’s going to tell you the truth because that’s what friends do. So what He’s saying to you and me this morning is for example, if you owe money, pay your debt. You say, ”I can’t, I don’t have the money.” Well, then go and speak to the debtor and explain it to him. Say, ”I’m not leaving the country. I’m not running away. I will pay you as soon as I can. Even if it’s just a couple of dollars a month, I will pay you. I’ll pay you interest as well.” Then he’ll be happy, otherwise, he will throw you into jail.

Watch out for familiarity. What does that mean? You have to work in an office with another lady, make sure it stays a business arrangement. Do not become familiar! My son told me a long time ago, he said, ”Dad, an affair doesn’t just happen in an instant. No, it takes lots of time. You start to know each other, then you start to have a cup of coffee together, then you take each other home, saving petrol, and then you don’t go home for lunch because you can just have lunch at the canteen and then the next thing, you are having an affair and that is tragic.

Accountability is so important. What does that mean? I will not go on a campaign overseas or even in the country on my own. Why? Because if I go with someone else, they can always hold me accountable, so it doesn’t matter where I go they go with me. Into the restaurant, when we’re waiting at the gate to board the aeroplane, at least one man because the devil is a thief and a liar. If you get yourself into a compromised position with another person, there is no-one to stand up for you. It’s her word against yours, or it’s his word against yours, but if there’s two of you the other person can say, ”No, he didn’t do anything wrong. That person threw themselves at him.”

Beware of a seared conscience that gets you used to breaking the law a little bit, then a little bit more, until you end up in jail. Don’t do that. Listen to the Holy Spirit! He will convict you and then you listen to what He is saying.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Thursday morning, the 29th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

John 15:26, and I am reading it to you from the Amplified Version:

“But when the Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor—Counselor, Strengthener, Standby) comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of Truth who comes from the Father, He will testify and bear witness about Me.”

Jesus is saying He is going to send us the Parakletos, and He has. That’s a beautiful word. I love to say that word. It is the only Greek word I know, the Helper, and He will tell you the truth because He is the Spirit of Truth!

We are talking about the Holy Spirit here today. It’s so very important in these days to be able to identify the truth from the fake. There are so many fake things on the go at the moment. With this AI sweeping all over the world, you don’t know who is who. How are we going to know what is genuine? There are even people who can impersonate me, they can impersonate my voice and that can be quite scary. How are we, as believers, going to be able to discern the truth from the fake?

If we look at the word of God in John 17:17, He says,

“Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.”

That is how the believer will be able to identify the truth from the fake. When they made the movie, “Faith like Potatoes”, the lady who took the part of my wife Jill, a beautiful young lady, was on the set one day, and her sister had come to visit her. Now, they are identical twins. I can’t tell them apart, both lovely young ladies. Just for a bit of fun, they decided to swop their clothes and Jeanne’s sister came onto the set and they were going to start filming, but straight away the Director, a very wonderful man of God, Regardt van den Berg, spotted her straight away. He said, “You are not Jeanne.” None of us knew. Now, how did he manage to do that? I am telling you why. He knew because he knew Jeanne so well. He was spending time with her every day, shooting the movie. When you spend time in the Word of God, you will identify the truth from the fake.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Wednesday morning, the 28th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We go to John 15:16. Jesus says:

”You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.”

Wow! What an incredible privilege to be chosen by God for a work to perform on this earth! It is a huge responsibility. With it goes the requirement of bearing good fruit. We have to make a difference in this world - people need to meet the Lord! Remember whatever we ask Father, in Jesus name by the power of His Holy Spirit, Father will give to you and to me.

I remember watching a clip, I can’t look it up but I remember it as clear as day. I think it was in the time of the Civil War in America, and there was a wounded soldier from the war. He was standing looking through the fence to the White House and he was trying to get in. He asked the sentry at the gate, ”I need to see President Abraham Lincoln.” And the soldier at the gate said, ”Sorry, you can’t go in unless you have an introduction, a letter of pass.” And he was standing there looking very forlorn. All of a sudden, a little boy walked up and asked the soldier what his name was and what had happened to him. He was wounded in the war and wanted to meet the President because he had something to ask him. So the little boy said, ”Follow me.” And the wounded soldier walked behind this little boy. He got to the sentry, he said. ”Please let me in.” And the sentry stood back.

This little boy, maybe eight, ten years old, carried on walking up the road. When they got to the front door of the White House there were soldiers there as well and he greeted them warmly. They all knew him. He said, ”This soldier needs to see the President of the United States of America.” They all stood back, and in this little boy walked. The wounded soldier was walking behind him. He climbed the steps and came to the door of the Oval Office. He knocked on the door and then walked in with the wounded soldier and there sitting behind this massive desk was the President of America and he said, ”Good morning Father. This soldier would like to meet you.” With that, he got the introduction. He knew his father.

Now Jesus knows His Father. Ask Him today!
Jesus bless you and goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 27th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in the Book of Zechariah 4:6:

"Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts.”

Then we go to John 15:7. Jesus says:

“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”

What a beautiful promise from the Lord! But it is very clear, if we stay in Him and He stays in us, then we can ask whatever we want and He will give it to us. Why? Because we will ask correctly, not in a selfish way but in a godly way.

Folks, I want to say to you today, we really need to start to live God’s way, for our sakes, and for the sakes of our family, our loved ones and the people we live and work with. Do you remember that very famous American actor and singer, Frank Sinatra? They called him, “Old Blue Eyes”, I am sure he was a very fine man. I know he did have a serious drinking problem but you know, one of the saddest songs, his words, “I did it my way”. Do you know, there is no other way but God’s way, and I know, I am speaking from experience myself. My way never, ever works. I looked up the lyrics of that song, and this is what they say. Listen to the words:

And now, the end is near

And so I face the final curtain
My friend, I'll say it clear
I'll state my case, of which I'm certain
I've lived a life that's full
I travelled each and every highway
And more, much more than this, I did it my way

It didn’t help him. You know the last words he said before he died were, “I am losing it, I am losing it.” What about you today? Are you losing it? I want to pray that will stop today, and that you will start doing it God’s way and doing what Jesus said. Let us pray:

Heavenly Father,

I want to thank You for my friend, listening to this early morning message, my friend, who has being trying to do it genuinely in their own way and it is failing badly. Today Lord, we want to ask You to please live in us, and we want to live in You so that You will take care of every one of our needs, and give us hope for the future, so that when we die we can say, “I am doing it Jesus’ way!” I ask this in Your precious name, amen.

God bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Monday morning, the 26th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

We start in 2 Corinthians 10:4-5:

”For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal (fleshly), but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,”

It’s a spiritual war that we’re in and we need to fight it with spiritual weapons. I’m talking about the sword of the Spirit.

We go to Ephesians 6:17:

”…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

You and I need to keep our swords sharpened. Abraham Lincoln, that great American president who basically abolished the slave trade in America. He was a country boy from Kentucky. He had very little education, I think less than three years. They asked him a question, ”If you had to cut down a large tree and they gave you six hours to drop that tree, how would you go about it?” That wise country boy said, ”I would take four hours to sharpen the axe.” You and I need to keep our swords sharpened. I’m talking about the Bible, the Word of God.

We need to memorise scripture. We need to apply the Word of God into everything we do, every plan we make, and every thought we think. The Word of God is final. When you truly believe what Jesus says and you take the Word of God literally, then you apply it. There’s no more discussing after that. What does the word say? Does the Word hate divorce? Yes, so work through your marriage. What does the Bible say about honesty? If you owe a man something, pay him. ”No, but we’ll wait until 120 days until they’re going to take us to court, and then we’ll pay, but we’ll use his money in the meantime.” No, No, No, No. You pay that money that you owe as soon as you get it. We’re talking here about a sharpened sword and that is what will give you the victory.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.

I greet you in Jesus’ precious name! It is Sunday morning, the 25th of January, 2026, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.

”Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
John 15:2

Pruning is a painful operation, but we need to get rid of the deadwood so that we can grow strong, straight and healthy. That deadwood must be disposed of.

We live in a most beautiful area here in KwaZulu-Natal. At Shalom, we are surrounded by beautiful forests of eucalyptus trees, of pine trees, and when the forester plants those seedlings, they are the size of my little finger, and they look so beautiful when they grow up to waist height, but as they grow older they start to crowd into each other. Then the forester comes and starts to take out the trees that are too cluttered so that the ones that remain can grow strong. If he leaves them, he will have a forest which will be entangled and starved of nutrients. It will be wasted. The same thing applies with a fruit tree. I remember I had a beautiful plum tree. It was the smallest tree in our orchard. It had been pruned naturally when it was small and yet eventually when it grew up, it produced the sweetest plums that I’ve ever eaten.

Now, we need to prune our children, and it’s called discipline. If you see a young man or a young woman who is disciplined, they are a pleasure to be around. They are very well-mannered, totally selfless, they care about other people, not themselves, and they are very popular because people want to be near them. But the person who has never been disciplined is self-centred, they are not interested in the things of God, only themselves, because they have never been pruned. Now the one who does the pruning is Jesus Christ, and it is very painful sometimes, but let it happen so that the end result will be profitable, and the produce will be acceptable to God.

Jesus bless you and have a wonderful day.
Goodbye.